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Thursday, March 31, 2011

It's been a few weeks since the last update on Our Heroes. the delay is caused by one of the player's continued absence due to military service. It's just one more sacrifice the military makes, friends, to safeguard us. But it sure puts a dampener on the roleplaying!

So, I thought I would at least let you all know how the big battle turned out!

To re-set the scene, the party has been suckered into a trap in an underground tmeple dedicated to Hextor, the god of battle. Hextor is Heironeous's evil twin, and so Brother Tigh is ramped up to cleanse the place. The party is in an arena, facing greater numbers and almost certain death. Most of the enemy is on balconies above the arena, able to rain down spells and arrows.

Sarmek begins sending shafts at the nearest tiefling archer on the balcony. Brother Tigh and Xavier charge the fanatic spearmen on the arena floor. Wren flings magic missiles about the room. The tieflings shoot back with their arrows, the zombie troglodytes sit still, the evil clerics begin casting spells. Their leader summons a fiendish ape on the arena floor and sends it after Xavier. One of his assistants casts Hold Person on Xavier at the same time, and he is paralyzed! Sarmek shoots another arrow at the tieflings, causing a critical hit and 30 points of damage! This slays the guard (who only had 5 left). Sadly, it could have taken out the fiendish summoned ape as well. Instead, the ape begins to shred Xavier. Brother Tigh takes up the attack against the ape, and Wren finishes off the fanatics with some help from his faithful mastiff.

Sarmek continues to keep the tiefling archers busy ducking, because they shoot as if they were blind, ham-fisted schoolgirls, not deadly warriors of infernal origins! Meanwhile, the enemy clerics continue to cast spells on Our Heroes, causing fear, and bane upon them. One evil cleric, a male half-orc, is chugging potions like no one's business. Looks like a sorority girl getting ready for a 'date.' Once the foes on the ground level are taken care of, and a few healing potions and spells are used up, Brother Tigh notices that the large statue of Hextor in the center of the arena looks a bit poorly balanced (Spot check of 26!). With some aid from Sarmek, he manages to topple the vile thing over, and creates a treacherous but useable ramp up to the balcony level!

Evil cleric lady sees this as a danger, and sends her zombie slaves (those big nasty troglodytes, remember?) out on the statue to deal with the riff-raff. Meantime, Wren pumps a pair of magic missiles into the half-orc, the tieflings keep missing the ground with their arrows, and Sarmek nails a broadhead into the half-orc as well. This deflates him rather thoroughly with a second critical hit, taking him off the board. Brother tigh calls upon the power of the Valiant Lord in this place of evil, and power courses through him, terrifying the zombies. Both of the remaining enemy clerics fail to recall the undead lizards to their duty (Holy crap! I can not roll dice tonight!). One tiefling manages to wing Wren, but rolls a miserable 3 points of damage. All of Our Heroes have now been scraped up pretty badly, and the dog has been saved from death not once, but twice, with first aid and potions.

Xavier manages to get to the top of the ramp, and goes after the remaining tiefling archer, cutting him down quickly. The primary cleric of Hextor whirls his flail at his foes, and goes down fairly quickly as well, with everyone concentrating on him and ignoring the less competent female cleric. After the clerics are downed, the fighter carves up the zombies as they continue to cower in fear from the might of hieroneous.

As the last of the unholy defenders of this shrine of evil fall, everyone except Brother Tigh freezes in place. A golden mist arises from the sands, and a sword archon appears out of it. The archon, a favored servant of Hieroneous, tells Brother Tigh that Heironeous is pleased with Our Heroes for destroying this vile nest in such a straight-forward and upright manner, and asks for Tigh's sword. He blesses the weapon (making it a +1 holy longsword) and returns it. He then fades out, and the mist recedes. When the mist is gone, no sign of Hextor remains, and the banners have all been transformed into Hieronean flags, the holy syumobls of Hextor are melted into slags, etc.. The statue crumbles to black dust.

Loot is pretty good, especially in the armor department. And the re-sellable weapons department. And several cure light wounds potions are located, and handed about. Once the group finishes clearing out this section of the mine, they can rest and probably level up. And that's where we leave them for now...

Thursday, March 17, 2011

I've been working on a lot of stuff for the last few days. Strangely, a lot of it is Germans, in two different scales and in two different genres. There's also one other thing at the end. But no spoilers. You want to know what it is, you have to work your way down. All part of my sinister plan. Muah ha ha!

Let's start with my very first base of FoG Renaissance troops. It is a command stand of Thirty Years War Catholic Germans. I'll let him be Johann Tserclaes, Count Tilly when I am using a Catholic League army, and the Tilly's Veterans regiments that come with them. Figures are 15mm Old Glory. I used GW's Devlan Mud wash for shading. Very happy with the results.

Banner is from warflag.com - an excellent resource

This next batch is all of the 15mm Imperial German line infantry I have right now. I plan to get another twenty in the future, but this, plus the twenty Aetherbattalion (Seebattalion) I already have. In the background is a stone outcropping I have set up for the jungles of Venus.

Figures are Black Hat Prussian Line Infantry

A stealthy assault rises up in the midst of a strong fortification! 6mm VSF German tunneling vehicle which can carry a company of infantry (1 base). The wily Hun attacks from below! I only have one for now, but I want more (three more would be great so that I can transport a full battalion).

Figure is GW Epic 40K

Finally, what you have all been waiting for: the secret surprise! My as-yet-incomplete Martian two-man skiff. Again, 15mm. The crew are about half-done. The motor needs to be finished as well. I have it mounted on a short brass rod and then into a base I built from three steel washers and some putty.

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Today is the Ides of March. If you are an Italian politician bent on assuming supreme power, today is Not Your Day. Stay home with the missus. Oh, and cut loose that guy that you've been treating like a son - he's a good kid, but his sense of morals is going to cause you trouble some day soon.

When last we encountered our intrepid heroes, they had met with Allustan regarding a threat to Diamond Lake. Certain clues caused them to meet with Balabar Smenk, most powerful (and corrupt) of the mine managers in Diamond Lake. Smenk admits to having been involved in some 'bad business' with a group of religious cults based in the mine of Ragnor Dourstone, a Dwarf and a rival for Smenk. Smenk convinces the party that the real threat is not him, but from the cultists in the Dourstone Mines. Our party agrees to cleanse the mines of their taint, remove the threat of the Ebon Triad to the town, and then settle with Smenk.

Sneaking in proves impossible, but a judicious bribe enables our heroes to gain entry to the mines. A quick slink down the tunnels and into an elevator shaft, and down they went, to face unknown perils...

As soon as the first pair arrived at the base of the elevator shaft, they are attacked by a pair of tiefling guards, fanatical devotees of Hextor. These fiendish minions are dispatched back to the Nine Hells that spawned them. A key on the body of one guard fits one of three doors leading away from the central corridor and its loathsome inky black pool. the portal is bedecked with symbols of Hextor, the evil and monstrous twin brother to valiant Hieroneous - Brother Tigh is visibly ready to cleanse this abomination!

Entering the next chamber easily thanks to the key, the party is immediately attacked by a number of skeletons. Tigh calls upon the power of his patron, and several crumble to dust. Moments later, another wave of defenders arrives, in the form of a number of human fanatics, armed with longspears. Fortunately, these fanatics are rather inept, and most are quickly incapacitated. Some run off down a wide corridor.

The sound of rattling chains and a squealing door is heard clearly in the chamber where the party rested for a moment. It is followed by an incredibly loud squeal, as if the largest pig in the world were coming - and that is exactly what was happening! The retreating cultists released The Beast, a dire boar of astonishing size and power. Dealing with The Beast occupied a few precious minutes, and nearly ended the adventurous careers of two of our favorite heroes. Undaunted, and having used a few precious healing potions, the party moves onward.

They pass the lair of The Beast, and come to a pair of tall bronze doors engraved with scenes of battle, and treachery, and symbols sacred to Hextor. These doors open to the slightest touch, revealing a large chamber. In the center of the chamber is an immense statue of a six-armed monster, in black stone. Set in the idol's forehead is a large red gemstone. Around the chamber is a balcony, some 20' high. The chamber's floor is covered with sand to the depth of a few inches. Once the party enters, the doors swing shut behind them and a loud "Ka-CHUNG!" sound lets everyone know they are locked.

The heroes face an enormous task. They are faced on the sand by four additional fanatics. Also, four bow-armed tieflings are firing at them from the balconies. Also, in a seating area opposite the great doors, three clerics and two troglodyte zombies await the party.

Saturday, March 12, 2011

Absalom! Shining jewel of the Southron Sea! Greatest metropolis for a thousand leagues! Gateway to the River Gules! Free city! Great city! A city where anything can be found. Hub of travel and trade for the entire southern portion of the continent. Absalom! Home to over 100,000 souls, of every race and creed.

To the Free City of Absalom our heroes have traveled. their goal: to see the sights of the great city, and spend their golden measures in search of tools for adventure worthy of them! After three days on the roads ina coach, the party reached Absalom and made their way to the Coins, the marketplace for the southern world. here they found lodging at the Taurean Sign, an inn run by an albino runt minotaur. After two days of shopping and sight seeing - and a trip to the Citadel of Hieroneous for Norman to become an initiate of the Order of the Sword and take his name - an urgent message from Diamond Lake catches up to our heroes.

Allustan, the wizard and mentor for Wren, has learned that something foul may be going on in one of Diamond Lake's mines. He begs the party to conclude their business in Absalom as quickly as possible and rush back to Diamond Lake before something unspeakable may happen.

Ser Xavier Lucius Rhinehart (Greyson's new character, a Human fighter) and Sarmek of Bronzewood Lodge hire horses and ride within the hour. Brother Tighraine, exhausted from his vigil, and Wren await the coach the following morning.

Ser Xavier and Sarmek are set upon by a trio of gnolls, drawn to their roadside campfire overnight. The stout pair defeat the hyena-headed monsters with little difficulty, and spend the remainder of the night in peace. The following morning, they ride again, reaching their home outside Diamond Lake late in the evening. In the morning, they seek out Allustan, who assures the two young men they have arrived in time, and thanks them for their haste. When he learns that Brother Tigh and Wren will not arrive until late in the afternoon on this third day, Allustan asks the ranger and the warrior to rest and prepare themselves.

Thursday, March 10, 2011

That's me, all the way to the left. Short, goatee, a few extra pounds, shirt untucked... it's me, I tell ya. I wonder if I should be getting royalties for my image and likeness? I like that he's (I'm?) standing next to the cute girl geek and not the Allergic-to-Soap fellow on the right.

Seriously, though, it's really cool looking, and in the Previews from Reaper Miniatures. I'll have to buy the pack.

Note: If the folks at Reaper Minis don't want me to use their photo, please contact me. I figure it's free advertising so they won't mind, but ...

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

The February issue of Doctor Who Magazine came complete with a package of 17 plastic Daleks. The new ones from the 5th season of the new series (with Matt Smith as the 11th Doctor). They happen to be pretty much a perfect size for use with 25mm figures. And cheap. Like £2.99, if I recall correctly. Including the magazine.

So I went to TMP and begged for someone in the UK to get me three sets. Tony Hughes from Tiny Tin Troops helped me out (thanks again, Tony!); I paid him by Paypal and he shipped them out to me. It took a month for them to arrive, thanks to Customs, etc., but here they are!

All 51 of them: a mighty force!

A closeup shot of the most xenophobic, malignant and deadly race in the Universe

Okay, so they are not going to stay in these colors. I'll hit them with some black Krylon Fusion for plastics, then go back with a thin layer of flat black. Hit the spots and details, and there you have it: a horde of Daleks that only cost me about $20, including shipping from the UK.

I bet if I used a sonic screwdriver to paint them, they'd come out brilliantly. Yeah, so I am an American Whovian. Sue me. Beats those Trekkie dweebs any day. I'd like to see Picard face the Daleks:

Picard: "The Prime Directive requires that we not interfere in the development of any species."